Newsletter

The American Dental Association’s Code Maintenance Committee (CMC) is responsible for maintaining the Code on Dental Procedures and Terminology (CDT) code set. The committee meets annually and is charged with evaluating all submitted code change requests. The CMC votes to accept, amend, or decline each request based on the best interests of the dental profession, patients, and third-party payers and administrators.

Your practice utilizes CDT codes every day to document, report, and bill for the dental services performed. Reporting outdated or deleted codes leads to denied or delayed claims, which means it is essential that your team stays up to date on all annual CDT changes. New and revised 2024 CDT codes become effective on January 1, 2025. Be sure your team meets before year end to review and understand all the code changes enacted.

Current Dental Terminology (CDT) – officially known as the Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature – provides a uniform, consistent, and accurate method of documenting dental procedures. This is its primary purpose: to be the universal language of dentistry.

While fixed hybrid All-On-X restorations have surged in popularity (see the coding for All-on-4 article from ISN Mar/Apr 2022), there are still many times an implant supported removable prosthetic may be considered the better choice for patient treatment. These appliances generally require fewer implants to be placed, are easily removed by the patient for routine cleaning, and need little maintenance with the exception of occasionally replacing retentive o-rings or gaskets.

Understanding the difference between CDT coding and clinical diagnosis is important when evaluating the gum health of our patients and creating treatment plans to address our findings. Yet a fully integrated approach to addressing their periodontal well-being also means prioritizing their comfort during treatment. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information showed that 36% of the population experience dental anxiety or fear, with an additional 12% facing severe dental fear. This fear and anxiety were proven to lead to the avoidance of dental care, deterioration of dentition, and feelings of guilt, shame, and inferiority, which further perpetuates this vicious cycle.